DeAndre Ayton Talks About His Play During the Lakers' Hot Start

The Los Angeles Lakers are building something special. They’re off to an incredibly hot start, much of it without LeBron James. Obviously, Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves have been grabbing the headlines with their impressive play, but it was the rest of the Lakers roster that many worried about entering the season. 

People were especially skeptical about DeAndre Ayton. Ayton is a former number one overall pick who, outside of a couple of great seasons in Phoenix, has been a bit of a disappointment so far in his career. 

Ayton spoke recently after a particularly dominant game about how he’s helped the Lakers reach 15-4. 

"Approaching the game, I was trying to play every game like it's my last. Especially coming into the season, hearing all the noise and the doubters, especially after the first game. It just brought a lot of fumes to my fire a little bit to where I just lock in on this defensive end, and the other end, I don't really gotta worry about too much, but setting screens and getting guys open when I roll. Everything really comes together, and I realize that I generate a lot of energy."

Ayton has been one of the best surprises of the Lakers' season so far. After a couple of seasons in Portland, where Ayton looked more interested in his own statistics than team success, people doubted he would be able to make the necessary sacrifices to fit in in Los Angeles. 

And yet, Ayton has fit in perfectly. He is playing solid defense and contributing admirably on the offensive end. He is averaging 16 points and 8.6 rebounds while shooting a career high 71% from the field. 

As Ayton has proved the haters wrong, so have the Lakers. They look like one of the best teams in the league, and they may not have even hit their peak potential yet.